[SA Chris]

On my first day at Ceuse I cocked up the very last traverse move to the chains onsighting Medecine Douche. I shouted "fucking cunt" at the top of my voice, in frustration. Not only did I fail on the onsight, but the American lass who was with us took deep offence (they really don't like the c word) and any chance I had with her (a couple of vaguely promising snogs up to that point) vanished in a puff of huffiness. She didn't even speak to me the rest of the day.

[Baron]

Lucien belaying Quiff Head on (I think) Toilet at the tor and Jasper belaying Airlie on Sissy at WCJ. Both early-mid 90's.

[Fultonius]

Will (Willackers) can throw down a pretty good tantrum. I can't think of any specific ones except for one time he kicked the wall so hard after falling off some route the the Glasgow wall that everyone stopped what they were doing to see what the commotion was.

I had totally forgotten about my low point on Zodiac earlier in the year. It was the end of the third day and I had not being doing much that day as James had led both pitches so far. He was out of steam so I took over for The Nipple pitch. 20 metres along rising traverse mainly on spaced in-situ pegs, cam hooks and small cams I got to the crux. The thin crack quickly widens to 4", then 5" then finally around 7". I was reaching out on my aiders, stretching to clip the one bolt on the entire pitch, when my feet whipped under me, flipped upside down and I jerked tight on my daisies which were attached to the #5 cam. A bit strung out now I tried again and fell, again. During the fall I raked my knuckles down the wall and blood started dripping.

"JAMES, have you got any FINGER TAAAAPE, I'm going to BLEED OUT up here".

"Can't you wait till the next belay".

"JUST SEND ME THE FUCKING TAPE NOW I'M BLEEDING GOD-DAMMIT".

By the time he'd rigged the tape and I'd pulled it up on the haul line it had almost stopped bleeding and I felt a bit silly. 

[Stu Littlefair]

At an international comp in Birmingham I failed to get up a single problem and stormed out of the arena, throwing my shoes in the bin on my way out. They were my only shoes.

Obviously, by the time I'd calmed down enough to go back someone had already taken them.

I shout at the wife quite a lot, but she usually deserves it.

[Andy F]

Airlie on Sissy at WCJ. Both early-mid 90's.

I remember watching Airlie fail on Comedy in the early - mid 90's. At the second bolt. Then spending 30 minutes sobbing below the start. Heartbreaking 

[Johnny Brown]

:lol Shame that primrose dihedral footage isn't online!

Just watched that vid of the Earl. I thought he was a model of restraint there, I've seen much worse for less!

[Joepicalli]

Without a doubt Airlie was the Goddess of tantrums. There's a brilliant article (I think in a Mountain) about an all female trip to the west coast of Ireland, written by Glenda Huxter; in which she describes with a mixture of admiration and horror the baroque heights to which Airlie's swearing, in full flow, could rise.

[205Chris]

:lol Shame that primrose dihedral footage isn't online!

If you can cope with shaky black and white footage I'm in the process of sorting it.

Nothing wrong with the audio!

[Paul B]

:lol Shame that primrose dihedral footage isn't online!

Shame its all bleeped out! (But good effort to 205Chris for getting it online nonetheless).

[205Chris]

I've distilled the full half hour into the tantrum highlights.

[Wood FT]

  nice one chris, that's great, finally someone I can relate to with my own trad climbing

[dave]

I tell you what, someone could do a cracking cassettebpy style pr0no edit of the audio on that.

[mrjonathanr]

gme - that reminded me of my favourite. Malc at Orpierre in about 1990. He was trying to onsight a short, steep 7c+ and nearby a french guy was flailing miserably attempting to work the start of one of the longer harder things, belayed by the campest, loudest man in the world (replete in pink fleece/tights, blonde highlights and dangly ear-ring).

Was it Philippe Plantier?



And shouldn't Airlie's assault on of our Geordie members be remembered for posterity?

[GCW]

I shout at the wife quite a lot, but she usually deserves it.

I assume this is a joke, but it may not be in the best taste 

[Fiend]

Willackers was at GCC the first time I went there, howling away on any move he fell off (and for all I know any move he succeeded on). I really wanted to ask him to please be fucking quiet, and he stuck in my mind as "the screaming boy".

Until I met him at Dumby and realised he was a sound guy and rather nice really. For a tall person anyway.

[willackers]

I think this thread needs to go on the log pile. It's very dull 

[petejh]

The end of a trip to Yosemite and feeling a bit tired and strung out, late at night and just starting the 24hr drive back to Canada when my vw golf started playing up, overheating. I think it was the headgasket. I pulled over, got out and started kicking the shit out of the driver's door for about 5 minutes until it looked like the car had been t-boned. Ended up pouring some radweld in the radiator and crawling slowly back home over 2 days. Can't remember how I explained the mangled car to my housemates, I may have claimed a bear tried to break into it...

[Jaspersharpe]

Jasper belaying Airlie on Sissy at WCJ. Both early-mid 90's.

Ha ha! Didn't realise there were any witnesses to that. I think me demonstrating it in trainers was possibly unhelpful with hindsight.

[csl]

I was trying to redpoint Vagabond in Ceuse 2 years ago while some friendly Germans were waiting to have a go on the route after me.

I fell off, screamed and shouted lots of swear words, then threw both my shoes, and a few rocks into the trees.

They were so shocked by my outburst they didn't even try the route, most likely out of pity so I didn't have to watch them flash it.

[Moo]

After the fourth session failing at the drop down from the pocket on Powerband I threw the closest thing to hand as far as I could with an accompanying cry of "bollocks". turned out it was my lasses water bottle that she was quite fond of. I was well in the bad books as it seemed lost to the long grass till some bastard ( might have been drew ) spotted it and I had to wade into the nettles in my shorts for the rescue.

I can't recall shouting at spotters ever apart from one time in bishop where I'd just pulled of a skin of my teeth flash on a crimpy problem on the coldest day ever. My fingers were totally numb as we're my feet, it was agonising. I think the conversation went like this


Me- Could you just chuck that mat over here so I can jump down

Spotter - just climb down a little bit and you'll be able to step .........

Me - JUST MOVE THE FUCKING MAT!!!!!!!

luckily they saw the funny side.

[Paul B]

Another confession; Barbitorique. Tarn.

I can't remember what caused the 'issue', however, I was left clipped into the belay / bolt as my good lady headed back towards the car. I wasn't best pleased at this and took it upon myself to anchor the rope and hand over hand back down to the floor (quickly realising that on a ~9.1mm rope for some distance, this wasn't easy) to continue our 'discussion'.

I got into more trouble for being that stupid.



With regards to Earl, he fell of a problem in one of the rounds of the BBC (in Kendal) and booted his chalk bag causing a huge cloud of dust. I'm fairly sure the manager had to be persuaded to let him climb in the final.

[JackAus]

Don't really do tantrums (I think...) but best one I've seen was my mate Dan.

Normally a very quiet climber, no outbursts, no swearing, nothing. Cold, sunny Feb afternoon, we were at Dinas and he was working the Infidel for his first 7a+. Falling off the last move twice before taking a break before having another crack. In the meantime, a young family with 2 little ones had wandered in for a walk and look at the waterfall etc. Dan decides he's ready and gets back on. Again, he fell off on the final match. This time however, it was accompanied by a very loud "FUCK!!", causing the family to quickly look as he stands up and kicks his metal drink bottle away from the wall, and with the force he kicked it, obviously trying to clear the creek... Deathly silence punctuated only by the metal bottle dinging off the rocks nearly ending up in the water...

I couldn't stop laughing..... Luckily after he calmed down, neither could he...

[moose]

I've distilled the full half hour into the tantrum highlights.

Someone alert the academy, they've missed a nominee for best editing Oscar! Advance warning, for the next year Kilnsey and Malham will echo to my cries of "green, Green, GREEN! I can't pull it up!" and "it's just all gone on for too long [sob]".  I do admire her use of "what a palaver" and "I'm so bored of standing here" whilst in extremis though, very classy.

Jasper belaying Airlie on Sissy at WCJ. Both early-mid 90's.

Ha ha! Didn't realise there were any witnesses to that. I think me demonstrating it in trainers was possibly unhelpful with hindsight.

I think that's called a "humblebrag"!

[a dense loner]

Jasper mcclure?

That photo of philippe plaintier is fantastic.

[Jaspersharpe]

Ah bollocks, it does look like that doesn't it, sorry!

Btw, I'm genuinely impressed with Airlie in that video. She used to come out with all those same expletives while top roping or seconding and usually fell off and/or gave up (and it was generally my fault of course). She had no head for trad whatsoever and was scared of going too high above a bolt.

Can't believe some of the stuff she went on to climb.